♥ CHAPTER 2 (MIZU)
I should’ve run away from home, one month ago. To a place that the Elemental Council could not discover. I feel like all this trouble could be avoided then. No. That’s not true. I was sick of hearing those words, over and over again. I knew it wouldn’t come out right, from the moment that ass-hat of a guy, Kurume, walked into our Calculus class. But I hadn’t said anything, for they would’ve asked me: “Are you drunk, Mizu?”
The day after Kurume came to our school, Kasai came over to our house. That was serious. Kasai hadn’t set foot on our property ever since six years ago. I didn’t blame her though. The way Aisu, my twin brother, had treated her after the accident, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she never made another friend. I prevented that from happening. When I answered that door, she was breathing heavily, as though she’d run. Maybe she had run.
“Casi,” I called her the name she preferred to called. “What brings you here?”
“I have something for you. And Aisu,” Kasai added as an afterthought. She reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a pair of gold-bordered, cream envelopes. Like the ones for wedding invitations. For a very foolish moment, I’d thought that her father was getting married. It had been, after all, six years since her mother and our parents died in the accident. And her father was still good looking. He is blonde with green eyes.
“What is it?” I asked her as she passed them to me. Then I heard Aisu’s door open upstairs behind me. I turned around and looked up. “Mizu? Who is it at the door?” He emerged from the shadows of our hallway. It was after school and he was still in his white collared shirt, although the tie was removed and the first three buttons were undone; he was wearing his shorts. His hair was all messed up. Aisu raised his eyebrows at Kasai. I turned back to the door and saw Kasai grit her teeth. Her yellowish eyes clouded as they narrowed behind her glasses. I could feel Aisu grin as he made his way down the stairs. Great. Now, I would have to listen to the two of them and their chilly remarks to one another.
“Ah! It’s been long since I’ve seen you at our doorsteps. It brings back memories, doesn’t it Kasai? Why are you here?”
“Nothing personal,” Kasai indicated the envelopes with a jut of her chin. “Oh! There’s one for me! Is it your father’s wedding?” Aisu and I have this ‘weird twin thing.’ Whatever I think, he says it. Kasai turned on her heel and walked out without saying ‘good-bye.’ I turned to Aisu, who was looking mystified at Kasai’s disappearing back. “What is wrong with you?” I snapped at him. He’s hurt Kasai’s feelings and he didn’t even acknowledge it. “What do you mean?” Aisu asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion. “You’ve made her mad! Look at her! She loved her mother and just look at what you’ve said!” “What do you mean ‘hurt’?” “Figure it out yourself.” I marched out of the house. “Mizu! Don’t drink!” Aisu called after me. But that was exactly what I intended to do.
♥♥♥
I really don’t know why I enjoy drinking so much. When I start, I cannot stop. Maybe it’s the alcohol’s smell. Maybe it’s the thrill, the push of adrenaline that comes with it. I guess that is what makes me pick up glass, after glass. And soon, before I know it, I pass out. And when I woke up in my small room, I realized Aisu was shaking my feet to wake me up. The rascal. I heard him mutter something. I sat up, reluctantly, and looked up at him in the face. He plopped down on the bed beside me. He smelled like mint and his face was uncharacteristically serious. I expected him to go rambling on about my drinking and passing out. “Mizu, yesterday, do you remember how Kasai came over and gave us these?” He held up the cream envelope. “Yeah?” I groaned as I tried to ignore the mega-huge headache and focus my eyes. “Read it,” He held it out for me. I made a face as I grabbed it.
THE ELEMENTAL COUNCIL
presents their compliments
to : AISU SHINTAROU
and requests the honor of his company
at the Recruiting Ceremony of 2015
given on Saturday next,
the 27th of February RSVP
Formal Party
The invitation went on to give details of the address and the time the ‘Recruiting Ceremony’ would begin. What the heck? I’d thought. But it was what was at the back that caught my attention.
Aisu,
We are very much honored to tell you that both of your late parents were Elemental, just like you and your twin sister. Your older sister, unfortunately, is not one of us. We are pleased to recruit you, for both your parents and Kasai Yanai’s late mother were memorable Elementals. What are Elementals? You may ask. Please make sure you come to our Recruiting Ceremony and we shall discuss this topic over some refreshments. If you do not come, we are afraid we will have to ‘kidnap’ you. It is entirely your choice if you want to tell anyone about this letter.
Thank you,
The Elemental Council
Kidnap? Were these people serious?
“What the heck?” I said it out loud this time and Aisu sighed in anticipation.
“Do you think that it’s just a prank done by Kasai?” He asked me, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“No! She’d never play a prank related to the six-year-ago accident,” I glared at Aisu who merely shrugged his shoulders. “And she’s not like you. Not anymore, anyway.” Aisu looked away from me and I rolled my eyes. Aisu played pranks and teased Kasai but he was just doing it because he was trying to reconnect with her. I mean, he feels really guilty for treating her so badly after the accident. He thinks that pranks and teasing will encourage her to be friends with him once more, but it doesn’t take a scientist to realize that it’s just making their gap bigger than ever.
“It mentions Kasai’s mother so, we should go and ask her if she knows anything. After all, she came to the place that gives her the worst nightmares ever to give this to us, right?” Aisu rolled his eyes at me. “And we can ask her where she got it from,” I pulled myself out of bed and glanced at Aisu who nodded at me and I knew he was thinking of the same thing. We’re like that; twins.
♥♥♥
I stood before the massive brass and sliver gate. Instead of buzzing the buzzer, Aisu punched in the code. The gate swung open. I smiled. I guess he still hadn’t forgotten his ex-best-friend’s gate’s security code. The guard at the side of the gate stopped us. Well, what’d we expect? There was obviously going to be a guard at the Mayor’s house.
“We’re here to see Kasai,” Aisu told him.
“Ms Casi? Please follow me,” he led us down the stone path surrounded by a bush of black-eyed-Susan and dahlias to the marble stair that led to the front door of the mega-big-mansion.
♥♥♥
I heard Taiga, Kasai’s butler, call her from up stairs. I sat down on the soft cushioned couch and sipped my tea. And then I heard two sets of footsteps come down the stairs. I glanced. I glanced at Aisu.
“If you tease her or make fun of her one time I will kill you,” I muttered under my breath as Kasai walked into the room. At least I thought it was her. Her fiery red hear was pulled up into a messy bun, key word being ‘messy.’ She was wearing a yellow tank-top and a pair of pajama bottoms. And she had a stuffed teddy bear that was missing one eye in her left hand. I grinned.
“What do you want?” She fell back on the sofa parallel to ours. She was careful not to look at Aisu and only at me. Nice.
“Well, good morning to you, too,” Aisu smirked at Kasai’s outer appearance.
“What do you want from my life?” She asked again, groaning.
“We came to talk about the envelopes,” I said, flashing Aisu a warning signal.
“Ah, the envelopes,” she turned around and looked at the maid behind her sofa. “Maria, there’s an envelope on my desk. Get it.”
“Is it on top of the mess or is it underneath?” Maria asked who seemed amused at the whole situation. Aisu snorted. I frowned at him.
“Just get the god-damn thing,” she glared at her maid, who ran off at once.
“Wow,” I said.
“Yeah, Maria, she’s trying out for ‘Cinderella.’ You know the award ceremony for maids, given by their employers? She thinks good come-backs are going to lead to success,” Kasai sighed. “Not.”
“So…where exactly did you get these envelopes from?” Aisu spoke up.
“That new twerp in Calculus class? Yeah, I was coming home from tae-class yesterday and he gave them to me. And then he pulled up his shirt sleeve and on his wrist was the same flame shaped birthmark that I have,” She pulled down the strap of her tank-top to reveal a walnut sized birthmark at the nape of her neck that looked like a fire tattoo. My eyes widened at the sight of it. I glanced at Aisu, who seemed just as surprised.
“I have a similar one! Here;” I showed her the back of my hand. There on my hand is a black circle with three waves in it. Kasai took my hand in hers and examined it. She furrowed her eyebrows and then raised them in disbelief.
“Water, fire and – Aisu! Your name means ‘ice’!” She looked at Aisu, whose eyebrows were pulled together in confusion. He was really stupid.
“Don’t you get it? Mizu means water and I have a water birthmark. Your name – Aisu -- means ice and you have that weird mirror-like birthmark you have on your chest? And Kasai’s name means fire and she’s got a fire birthmark!” I raised my brows meaningfully. Aisu’s eyes widened in realization. And I knew one thing.
We were definitely going to that Recruiting Ceremony.
